What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact of lockdown procedures by schools following three incidents in which schools initiated lockdowns from 7 January 2025 to 14 January 2025?
The management of incidents in schools is a matter for the school and local authority concerned, in conjunction with the emergency services and in line with their legal duties in relation to the health and safety of their pupils and staff.
The Welsh Government’s Emergency Planning and Response Guidance for Education and Childcare Settings supports schools and local authorities to plan for and deal with public health and other emergencies that may lead to the temporary closure of classrooms or schools, and highlights the range of support available to learners and school staff following a serious incident.
The Welsh Government does not routinely monitor or review lockdown incidents. However, we do ask local authorities to inform us of school closures and major incidents and have forums in place for sharing the learning from such incidents and building good practice across the education sector.